Composite gymnasium mats



Sept. 8, 1970 v MEYER ET AL I 3,526,911

- COMPOSITE GYMNASIUM MATS Filed April 4, 1968 01y lo INVENTORS H ANS M E Y E R United States Patent O 3,526,911 COMPOSITE GYMNASIUM MATS Hans Meyer, White Plains, and Carmine Carpanzano, New Rochelle, N.Y., assignors to Air-Tech. Industries Inc., Clifton, N.J., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 718,820 Int. Cl. A47c 27/00 US. Cl. 5--345 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A composite gymnasium mat including two or more abutting mat units provided with a simplified reinforcing arrangement for complementary slide fastener elements which hold the units in abutting relationship. The reinforcement for each of the slide fastener elements is formed by folding the covering of the mat units to form a pocket for receiving the fastener element and a flap to cover the fastener element, and to provide three layers of the covering material to which the fastener element is secured by stitching.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This application refers to gymnasium mats and more particularly to such mats which are composed of two or more detachably interconnected individual mat units.

Description of the prior art Mats and mattresses which are composed of a number of units detachably fastened together are well known in the prior art. In the earlier mattresses of this type, the units were fastened together by means of straps, hooks, snaps and the like. In more recent years, slide fasteners have been used to conveniently attach such mat units. This latter type of construction is shown in British Patent 725,615, published Mar. 9, 1955 and in US. Pat. 3,319,- 273.

As shown in these patents, the complementary portions of a slide fastener are sewn to the outer surface of the covers of adjoining mat units along the edges of the abutting ends of the mats. The covers are reinforced along the stitch lines by the addition of separate strips of material. In the case of the US. patent, a strip of material is placed over the slide fastener portion and a second strip of material is placed under the cover to sandwich the fastener portion and the cover therebetween.

This type of reinforcing construction necessitates cutting reinforcing strips, positioning the strips, and holding the strips in position during the stitching operation.

SUMMARY It is an object of the present invention to provide a composite gymnasium mat which can be manufactured in less time and with fewer and simpler operations.

Another object is to provide such a mat having an improved arrangement for reinforcing the point of attachment of the slide fastener to the cover.

The foregoing objects are accomplished by providing a gymnasium mat comprising at least two mat units each having an upper surface and a transverse end meeting the surface along an edge, the ends of the mat units being arranged in abutting relationship, each of the mat units comprising aflexible resilient filler, a cover for the filler including a top portion covering the upper surface, the cover being folded inwardly adjacent the edge to extend under the top cover portion to provide a middle layer and then being folded back on itself to provide a lower layer extending to the edge and down over the end, the middle and lower layers being parallel with the top cover Patented Sept. 8, 1970 ice portion and forming an outwardly facing pocket, and complementary slide fastener means permanently fixed in the pocket, the top cover portion and the middle layer forming a flap covering the slide fastener means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown a composite gymnasium mat according to the present invention which includes two mat units 10A and 10B having upper surfaces 11A and 11B, and abutting transverse ends 12A and 12B which meet the upper surfaces along edges 14A and 14B.

Each of the mat units 10A (10B) comprise a body 15A (15B) of flexible resilient filler, a cover 16A 16B), a complementary portion 17A (17B) of a slide fastener 19 attached to the cover, and a reinforcement 20A (20B) at the edge 14A (14B) for strengthening the attachment of the slide fastener portion 17A (17B) to the cover.

The body 15A 15B) of the filler may be composed of any suitable material such as foam plastic or foam rubber, and the cover 16A (16B) may be of any suitable tough wear resistant fabric or sheet plastic (for example, sheet vinyl). The cover includes a top section 21A (213), an end section 22A (22B) which is continuous with the top section, and a bottom section 24A (24B).

The complementary slide fastener portions 17A and 17B each include a fabric strip 25A and 25B on which are secured spaced inter-engaging teeth 26A and 26B. The slide fastener 19 also includes the conventional slider (not shown) for interlocking and disengaging the teeth, and the interengaging end elements (not shown) conventionally provided on the complementary halves of completely separable slide fasteners.

The reinforcement 20A (20B) is provided by folding the cover 16A (16B) under at the edge 14A (14B) so that it extends back on itself to provide a second layer 27A (27B) under the edge of the top section 21A (21B), and then folding it under again so that it extends back to the end 12A (12B) of the mat to provide a third layer 29A (29B) under the second layer 27A (27B). The cover then extends downwardly over the end 12A (12B) to become the end portion 22A (22B) of the cover.

The second layer 27A (27B) and the third layer 29A (29B) form a pocket in which the fabric strip 25A (25B) of the slide fastener 19 is placed. The slide fastener strip 25A (25B) is attached to the cover by two rows of stitch ing 30A (30B) which extend through the top cover section 21A (21B), the second layer 27A (27B), the slide fastener strips 25A (25B), and the third layer 29A (29B).

The portion of the top cover section 21A (21B) and of the second layer 27A (27B) outwardly of the stitching form a flap which extends over the slide fastener portion 17A (17B). When the mat units 10A and 10B are fastened together, these two flaps meet and cover the slide fastener 19 to protect those using the mat from injury by contact with the slide fastener teeth.

In the manufacture of the mat described above, the attachment of the slide fastener portions to the mat units requires only that the cover be folded, the slide fastener portion be inserted and the assembly be stitched. Seperate strips of reinforcing material need not be cut and positioned as in the prior art construction. Also, the stitching operation is easier and quicker since only two separate pieces (the folded cover and the slide fastener portion) need to be kept in proper position rather than the four separate pieces required in a prior art construction having the same degree of reinforcement.

It Will be seen that the present invention provides a composite gymnasium mat which can be manufactured in less time and with fewer and simpler operations by virtue of an improved arrangement for reinforcing the point of attachment of the slide fastener to the cover.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A gymnasium mat comprising at least two mat units each having an upper surface and a transverse end meeting said surface along an edge, said ends of said mat units being arranged in abutting relationship, each of said mat units comprising a flexible resilient filler, a cover for said filler including a top portion covering said upper surface, said cover being folded inwardly adjacent said edge to extend under said top cover portion to provide a middle layer and then being folded back on itself to provide a lower layer extending to said edge and down over said end, said top cover portion and said middle and lower layers being one continuous piece, said middle and lower layers being parallel with said top cover portion and forming an outwardly facing pocket, and complementary fastener means permanently fixed in said pocket, said top cover portion and said middle layer forming a flap covering said fastener means.

2. A mat according to claim 1 wherein said fastener means includes interlocking means at the outer edge thereof and a strip carrying said interlocking means, said strip being fixed in said pocket by means of stitching extending through said top cover portion, said middle layer, said strip, and said lower layer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,706,821 4/1955 Griggs 5357 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. S357 

